Tool setter for a grinding machine

ABSTRACT

A device or tool setter has the purpose of setting the position of a support bar, adjustably connected to a grinding machine, in relation to a rotatable grindstone of the machine for obtaining a desired edge angle of a tool supported for grinding by the support bar. The device is provided with discs for defining two contact points with the grindstone and a hole for connection to the support bar.

The present application is a reissue application of U.S. Pat. No.8,556,685 issued on Oct. 15, 2013, which issued from U.S. Ser. No.12/591,277 filed on Nov. 16, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser.No. 11/703,725, filed Feb. 8, 2007, and now U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,678,which claims benefit of Serial No. 0600292 filed on Feb. 10, 2006 inSweden. A claim of priority to each of U.S. Ser. No. 12/591,277, U.S.Ser. No. 11/703,725, and SE Serial No. 0600292 is made to the extentappropriate. Also, U.S. Ser. No. 12/591,277, U.S. Ser. No. 11/703,725,and SE Serial No. 0600292 are incorporated herein by reference, in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device, hereinafter also referred toas a tool setter, for setting the position of a support bar, adjustablyconnected to a grinding machine, in relation to a rotatable grindstoneof the machine for obtaining a desired edge angle of a tool supportedfor grinding by the support bar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Edge tools, for example for woodworking, especially woodturning tools,have to be sharp for obtaining optimum results. Sharpening can beperformed by means of a rotating grindstone in a grinding machine. Thesharpening is preferably carried out by means of a jig, in which thetool is attached and which is supported by a support bar of the machine.In this way an exact replication of the edge shape and edge angle of aprevious sharpening can be obtained.

Hereby, the shape of the edge is exactly the same after eachre-sharpening, so that the tool always behaves in the same way at work.With a sharp edge the wood surface becomes finer and may not needsanding or the like.

At re-sharpening of the tool by means of a jig very little steel isremoved, and the wear is minimal, prolonging the useful life of a tool.

At a re-sharpening by means of the jig supported by the support bar, areplicated result is only possible with the same jig, with the sameprotrusion of the tool from the jig, and above all with the samedistance between the support bar and the grindstone as at a previoussharpening.

Traditionally, the distance between the support bar and the grindstonehas been established by means of a wooden spacer made by the user at thefirst sharpening of a tool. This is a rather awkward process, also withan inherent risk of then loosing a particular wooden spacer. Differentspacers may be needed for different tools. Each spacer will lead to acopying of the edge geometry obtained at a previous sharpening. Theprecision of the result is depending on the skill and accuracy of theuser. Further, the spacer can not be used with a grindstone with anotherdiameter than the original one, if a replicated edge angle is desired.

The main object of the invention is to enable a proper, replicatedsetting by means of a commercially available device, also with agrindstone of another diameter than of the one previously used.

Another object of the invention is to attain a device for simplifyingthe setting of the support bar with the highest possible accuracy.

THE INVENTION

This is according to the invention attained in that the device isprovided with means for defining two contact points with the grindstoneand with means for connection to the support bar.

In a practical embodiment, the device may consist of a card or plate,preferably of plastic, whereas the means for defining the contact pointscan be metal discs attached in the plate, and the means for connectionto the support bar may be a hole in the plate.

In order to improve the versatility of the device and allow more tooledge shapes and angles to be obtained, the plate may be provided with atleast one further hole for optional connection to the support bar.

A replicated sharpening result is dependent on the use of the sameprotrusion of the tool from a jig utilized at grinding. For facilitatingthe setting of this protrusion, the plate is provided with a projectionforming shoulders at different distances from an edge of the plate.

The plate may be provided with magnets for attachment of the device to ametal surface, for example the grinding machine, so as to prevent itfrom being lost.

An edge of the plate may be provided with grooves for checking an edgeangle of a tool, for example before and after a sharpening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in further detail below under referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary grinding machine, withwhich a device or turning tool setter according to the invention may beused,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to a larger scale of a jig to be used atsharpening of a turning tool by means of the grinding machine,

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate tool sharpening under two different conditionsand the prevailing geometrical relationships,

FIG. 5 is a somewhat schematic side view of the device or turning toolsetter according to the invention in its use at a grindstone,

FIG. 6 is a front view of the turning tool setter according to theinvention, and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the rear side of the turning tool setteraccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A conventional grinding machine 1 is shown in FIG. 1. The machine isprovided with a circular grindstone 2 driven by an electric motor in themachine. The machine is provided with a cylindrical support bar 3. Thepurpose of the support bar 3 is to serve as a guiding means, as willappear below. The distance between the grindstone 2 and the support bar3 parallel therewith may be adjusted by the slidable mounting of thesupport bar 3 to the grinding machine 1. The distance may be fixed by aset screw 3′ on the machine.

The grinding machine 1 may also be provided with a honing wheel 4.

When edge tools, especially woodturning tools, such as chisels andgouges, most importantly spindle gouges, bowl gouges and plain or ovalskew chisels, are to be sharpened by means of the grinding machine 1,use can be made of a jig 5 to be briefly described with reference toFIG. 2. The jig has a base member 6 with a support bar tube 7 attachedperpendicularily thereto. The inner diameter of the tube 7 correspondsto the outer diameter of the support bar 3. A tool holder 8 is pivotallyattached to the base member 6, and the relative position between thesetwo parts may be locked by means of a lock screw 9. A tool received inthe tool holder 8 may be held in position by means of a holding screw10.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates the sharpening of awoodturning tool 12, in the shown instance a bowl gouge, by means of thegrindstone 2. The tool 12 is fastened in the jig 5, which is slid ontothe support bar 3, attached in the grinding machine 1 (FIG. 1). It isassumed throughout the following description that the base member 6 andthe tool holder 8 (FIG. 2) of the jig 5 are locked to each other, in thepresent case forming an angle of 110° with each other.

With a certain protrusion P of the tool 12 out from the jig 5, a certainedge angle α of the tool can be obtained, provided that the correctdistance d between the grindstone 2 and the support bar 3 is set. As theedge angle α is of great importance for the work with the tool, itimperative to obtain the same edge angle at a re-sharpening of the tool.As is understood, this is obtained by setting the support bar 3 at thesame distance d from the grindstone as at the previous sharpening (s)(provided that the tool 12 is fastened to the jig 5 with the sameprotrusion P as earlier).

It has earlier been customary to physically “memorize” the distance d bymeans of a wooden spacer or distance piece, prepared by the user.

In the specific case illustrated in FIG. 3, the grindstone 2 has adiameter of 250 mm. With the described jig setting and tool protrusion,the distance d will be about 51.5 mm for a desired edge angle α of 45°.If on the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the grindstone has adiameter (possibly after wear) of only 200 mm, the desired edge angle αof 45° will be obtained with a different distance d of about 57 mm.

In order to obtain a correct and desired edge angle α each time aspecific tool 12 is re-sharpened and independent of the diameter of thegrindstone 2, a device or tool setter 14 according to the invention maybe used for setting the correct position for the support bar 3 inrelation to the grindstone 2. As appears in FIG. 5, this tool setter 14,which will be further described below under reference to FIGS. 6 and 7,is a flat utensil with two spaced-apart contact points 15 forapplication against the grindstone 2 and with at least one circular hole16 for engagement with the support bar 3.

In order to obtain a proper and replicated position for the support bar3 in relation to a grindstone 2 (with any diameter) the tool setter 14is slid onto the bar 3 by its hole 16, whereupon the position of thesupport bar 3 is adjusted, until both the two contact points 15 bearagainst the surface of the grindstone 2, and the support bar 3 is lockedinto the set position.

The tool setter 14 is removed, and the jig 5 with the tool 12 attachedtherein (with the proper protrusion) is mounted on the support bar 3,whereupon the tool 12 can be re-sharpened with the desired edge angle.

As it has earlier been customary to “memorize” the position of thesupport bar 3 by means of a distance piece or spacer inserted betweenthe bar and the grindstone 2, the geometry shown and described withrelation to FIGS. 3 and 4 is based on the distance d between the bar andthe grindstone. However, it may also be defined—as in FIG. 5—as aperpendicular distance d′ between a grindstone radius (intermediate thetwo contact points 15) and the support bar 3. Reverting back to FIG. 3,this distance d′ is also the distance between the support bar 3 and theengagement of the tool 12 with the grindstone 2.

The tool setter 14 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Basically, it may in apractical embodiment consist of a card or plate preferably made ofplastic with a generally parallel trapezoid shape. It is provided withtwo metal discs 15A (for defining the contact points 15 mentionedabove). It is also provided with circular holes 16 and 16′. The first orleft hole 16 has been mentioned above, and the second or right hole 16′has the purpose of enabling sharpening with different parameters (edgeangle, type of tool, etc). It is presently felt that two holes 16, 16′satisfy normal needs, but it is of course possible to provide furtherholes.

It has been mentioned above that the protrusion P of the tool 12 fromthe jig 5 is of importance for the obtained replicated result. Anaccurate setting of a desired protrusion P may be obtained in that therear side of the tool setter 14—as is shown in FIG. 7—is provided with aprojection 17, forming for example three shoulders 17A, 17B and 17C at adistance of for example 75 mm, 65 mm and 55 mm, respectively, from theright hand edge of the tool setter 14 in FIG. 7. The opposite or frontside of the tool setter 14 is preferably at this edge provided with aledge 18 for supporting engagement with a suitable edge of a table orthe like.

Magnets 19 for holding or storing the tool setter 14 on a metal surface,for example the grinding machine 1, ready for easy access may beprovided on the rear side of the tool setter 14, as is indicated in FIG.7.

Grooves 20 for checking edge angles may be provided at an edge of thetool setter 14.

The tool setter 14 may on free surfaces be provided with appropriatetext and illustrations for guiding the user about proper settings fordifferent tools. Consultations with many experienced woodturners haveshown that with a tool setter 14 having two holes 16 and 16′ and havingdirections for use of the three protrusions P of 55, 65 and 75 mm, toolshapes and edge angles that can satisfy most needs will be obtained.

With the tool setter 14 according to the invention a very exactreplication of an edge angle of a certain tool may be obtained, evenwhen the grindstone diameter changes.

The tool setter 14 has been shown as being provided with two fixed metaldiscs 15A and two fixed holes 16 and 16′. Deviations are possible withinthe scope of the appended claims, for example with regard to the numberand positions of the support bar holes. Also, it is possible to providefor adjustability for the positions of both the contact points (metaldiscs) and the support bar connection means (holes).

The invention claimed is:
 1. A device for setting a position of asupport bar, said bar being adjustably connected to a grinding machinein relation to a rotatable grindstone of the grinding machine, forobtaining a desired edge angle of a tool supported for grinding by thesupport bar, the device comprising a one-piece plate having as a partthereof (1) spaced apart protrusions which define two contact pointswith the grindstone in order to repeatedly define a distance d betweenthe grindstone and the support bar, as well as provide for adjustment ofposition of the support bar so as to repeatedly obtain an edge angle αfor a tool upon re-sharpening the tool with said grindstone using saidsupport bar and (2) a hole in said plate for pivotal connection to thesupport bar.
 2. A device for setting a position of a guiding means, theguiding means being adjustably connected to a grinding machine inrelation to a rotatable grindstone of the grinding machine, forobtaining a desired edge angle of a tool supported for grinding by theguiding means, the device comprising a one-piece plate having as a partthereof (1) a means for defining two contact points with the grindstoneand (2) a means for cooperation with the guiding means to obtain adesired spacing between said grindstone and said guiding means.
 3. Acombination grinding machine and tool setter comprising: (a) a grindingmachine comprising a circular grindstone having an outer circularperiphery, a jig support, and a sharpening jig for holding an edge toolfor sharpening; and (b) a tool setter comprising: (i) a plate having anouter boundary in a plane of the plate; (ii) a first contact locationcomprising a first disc, a second contact location comprising a seconddisc, wherein the first contact location and the second contact locationare separate from each other and both the first contact location and thesecond contact location extend beyond the outer boundary in the plane ofthe plate, and the tool setter is constructed so that the first contactlocation and the second contact location simultaneously contact thecircular periphery of the circular grindstone, and a third contactlocation for contacting the jig support; (iii) a first fixed separationbetween the first and second contact locations and a second fixedseparation between the first contact location and the third contactlocation to provide a separation between the circular grindstone and thejig support; and (iv) wherein the tool setter is constructed to definethe separation between the circular grindstone and the jig support toprovide accurate, replicated re-sharpening results of an edge of an edgetool at an angle α when the edge of the edge tool is provided at aconstant protrusion P from a jig used with the jig support.
 4. Thecombination grinding machine and tool setter according to claim 3,wherein the tool setter is formed of plastic.
 5. The combinationgrinding machine and tool setter according to claim 3, wherein the thirdcontact location comprises a circular hole.
 6. The combination grindingmachine and tool setter according to claim 3, wherein the tool settercomprises a flat utensil.
 7. The combination grinding machine and toolsetter according to claim 3, wherein the sharpening jig comprises anedge tool secured therein.
 8. The combination grinding machine and toolsetter according to claim 3, wherein the edge tool comprises one of aspindle gouge, a bowl gouge, a plain chisel, or an oval skew chisel.